Hunting the snark or leading with purpose? : managing the enterprise university

In Lewis Carroll's classic poem, ‘The Hunting of the Snark', there is little understanding about what a ‘Snark' actually might be. There is similar disagreement about the ways in which contemporary universities should be led and managed, and few writers move beyond broad generalizations for action. This is particularly true for writers analyzing higher education from the perspectives of sociological analysis (eg Meek & Wood 1997) political economy, and institutional theory perspectives (eg Marginson & Considine 2000). Building on recent research by Poole (2000, 2001a), the paper charts current understandings of university governance and leadership, identifies research gaps, and begins to explore how apparently dichotomous managerial choices may be reconciled by university leaders.